MOSCOW, Sept 1 (Reuters) - Russia Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Ukrainian forces must pull back from positions from which they can hit civilian targets, and negotiations taking place on Monday should seek an immediate ceasefire in eastern Ukraine.

"They must leave positions from which they can harm the civilian population," Lavrov told students in Moscow. "I very much count on today's negotiations being devoted above all to the task of agreeing an immediate ceasefire, without conditions."

The talks in the Belarussian capital Minsk will bring together representatives of Russia, Ukraine, the OSCE security forum and separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine. (Reporting by Mark Trevelyan, editing by Thomas Grove)